Spring-winding machine



\ 1,627,604 May l0 1927' J. A.- HITTLE SPRING WINDING MACHINE Ma 1o`1927. 1,627,604

y J. A. HITTLE SPRING WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7. 1926 I5 Sheets-Sheet2 MH? ZW 1,627,604 May .10 1927 J. A. HITTLE SPRING WINDING UAGHIINEFiled Jan. 7. 1926 3 Sheets-Sneet3 Janus AYHWY @1f- WWW Patented May 10,1927.

' UNITED -STATES im ARTHUR HITTLI, Ol' 4ASBIG'IQB. T0

` wm 0l INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PATENT- OFFICE.

SPRING-mm1? HACHH'I.l

M invention relates to windin machines whic in the modification to beereinafter described, are particularly adapted for windingl helicalcoils of heavy material in the manufacture of springs. The machine to beparticularly described is simple in construction, speed and accurate inoperation and can be ten ed by comparatively unskilled labor. Thesepoints will be obvious fromthe following descri tion, read inconjunction with the annexe drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of the working end of my improved machine,

Fig. 2 1s an enlarged view of the winding head showing the inltialwinding stage,

Fig. 3 is a view similar` to Fig. 2 showing the coil fully wound,

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of Figs. 5, 6 and 7 aresections on the respective lines designated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 8 is a face view of an element,

Fig. 9 is a side view of same, while Figs. 10 and 11 illustratepreliminary steps in the production of a coil in accordance with myinvention.

The supporting frame 10 for my improved mechanism is of any suitableform. I have illustrated a vertical pedestal supporting a hollowlongitudinal section which in turn has a vertical face 11 to which thewinding head is securely attached, as by bolts 12, Figs. 1 to 3. Inorder to supply driving power to the winding head I show a reciprocablerack 13, driven in any suitable manner, and it will be seen that thesupporting frame and reciprocable element may be easily adapted from astandard broaching machine, as I have indeed done in actual practice.

As shown in Fig. 4, rack 13 has a screw spindle 14 at its rear endsupported in two smooth-bored stanchions 15 and 15 fixed to an innerwall of the frame. Intermediate these stanchions, and prevented therebyfrom axial movement, is a worm wheel 16 having a threaded bore engagingthe threads of spindle 14. Journaled transversely in the frame beneaththe worm wheel 16 is a shaft 17, one end of which projects from theframe and has rigidly secured thereto a pulley 18 which is driven fromany suitable reversible source of power. Mounted on shaft 17 between twoclutch collars 19 and 19 is a worm wheel 20 engaging worm wheel 16. Thecollar 19 is secured to the shaft as by a set screw 21, while collar 19is splined on the vshaft and is movable into and out of lclutchingposition by means of a fork 22 enga ing in a peripheral groove thereof.-The `for 22 is connected by an arm 22,`extend mg through the frame, toan operating lever 23, and is normally held in retracted position b atension spring 24. It is thus evident t at by rotating the pulle 18 ineither dlrection and manipulatin t e lever, 23, rack 13 ma be recirocate The win ling hea structure having -a rear wall 24 adapted to besecured to the face I11 of the frame as by bolts 12. Both the rear wall24 and front wall 25 have apertures alined with the aperture in face 11through which thev rack 13 passes. For safety pur ses a sleeve 26 isscrewed in the front wal aperture, the sleeve being sufficiently longto-prevent the projection of rack 13 therefrom at its farthest outerposition. rIfhe rack is of rectangular cross-section and to preventitsturning about its longitudinal axis and to support its outer end, aV-shaped bearing block 27 is fixed in the relation shown in Figs. 4 and6. t r

Journaled in side walls 28 and 29 of the winding head is a shaft 30 towhich is fixed a spur gear 31 meshing with rack 13, and a larger spurgear 32 meshing with a spur gear 33 fixed on shaft 34 also journaled inside walls 28 and 29. Gears 31 and 32 may be conveniently made integralwith a common sleeve 31.

Integral with shaft 34 and positioned on theloutside of wall 28 is acircular faceplate 35 having at its center a winding mandrel or arbor inthe form of a helical boss 36. If the spring is to be made of Hat stripmetal, for instance, the mandrel stands from the face plate to an extentsubstantially equal to the width of the strip, while the radial distancebetween the initial and terminal points 37 and 38 of the helical curveis somewhat greater than the thickness of the strip. A transverse radialnotch 39, somewhat wider than the thickness of the strip intervenesbetween points 37 and 38.

A vertical extension member is set into side wall 28 at the outer edgeof the latter and held in place by means of screws 41, Figs. 1 to 3, 6and v7. A slide 42 attached, through lon itudinal slots 43, 43 to theextension mem er 4by mea-ns of cap screws 44,

consistis of a box-like noma' In.l 4

44. Fixed to the upper end of slide 42 .by means of screws 45 is ahorizontal arm. 46 extending over mandrel 36, this arm havmg suicientclearance with face plate 35 to permit its free movement in front of thelatter.

A link 47 is pivoted to the lower end of slide 42 and to a foot lever48, which latter is pivotally supported as at 49. The end' 50 of saidlever projecting beyond point 49 is provided with suitable weights 51 tohold slide 42 normally in its upper position.

In operation, one extreme end of the strip to be coiled is rst given a suare bend, as in Fig. 10, the portion' w being no longer than notch 39is deep. To aid in starting the o eration, I prefer to give the strip a:furt er curved bend as in Fig. 11. The portion m is now inserted innotch 39, as in Fig. 1, whereupon, by applying foot pressure, or someconstant mechanical pressure, to the end 52 of lever 48, arm 46 isbrought to bear on the strip. The power now being applied to pulley 18and the clutch thrown in, the mandrel is rotated in the direction of thearrow Fi 1 until the 'position is reached as shown 1n Fig. 2. Theoperation is now halted for a moment and arm 46 raised while a flexiblespacing element, such as a leather strap, is placed on the metal stripwith its end against shoulder 38 of the mandrel, Figs. 2 and 8. Thethickness of these two superposed elements is substantially equivalentto the radial distance between point 37 and point 38. It is to beunderstood that the spaclng element need only be used where a clearanceis desired between the convolutions of the coil and the thickness of thestrap and dependent radial distance between points 37 and 38 determinethis clearance.

Arm 46 is now lowered aga'in and the rotation of the mandrel resumeduntil the end of thestrip is reached, Fi 3. It will be noted that arm 46is provide with a shoulder 46 for guiding the strip as it is fed.

Upon releasmg lever 48, the coil may now be slipped from the mandrelin,an ax1al direction, and by reversing the power, rack 13 is returnedto initial position. It will be noted that to speed up the wholeoperation I have interposed a multiplyin gearing between the rack andthe mandr.

While I have described one embodiment of my invention with someparticularity, it is to be understood that I intend my invention tobeconstrued from the following claims:

I claim: 1. In a machine of the type described, as

-winding mandrel comprising a boss adapted for rotation about thetransverse axis, means on said boss for engaging a strip to be wound,means for rotating said boss, a member adapted to exert pressure on saidstrip transversel to the axis of said boss, means for norma ly holdingsaid member in operative position, and means for bringing said memberinto pressure exerting relation to said strip.

2. In a machine of the type described, a

winding mandrel comprising a boss, adapted for rotation about atransverse axis, means on said boss for engaging a strip to be wound,means for rotating said boss, a member adapted to exert pressure on saidstrip transversel to the axis of said boss, and means on said member forguiding sa'id stri 3.p In a machine of the character described, awinding mandrel comprising a boss adapted for rotation, means on sa'idboss for engaging a strip to be wound, a flexible spacin stripsuperposed on said strip to be Woun adapted for rotation about atransverse axis,-

said boss havin a shoulder connecting the initial and terminal points ofits enerating helix and means at the base of sa'i shoulder yfor engagina strip to be wound, means for rotating sai boss, a member adapted toexert pressure on said strip transversely to the afxis of said boss,means for normally holding said member in inoperative position, andmeans for bringing said member into pressure-exerting relatlon to saidstrip.

6. In a machine of the type described, a windm mandrel comprising ahelical boss adapte for rotation about a transverse axis, said bosshavin a shoulder connecting the inltial and terminal points of itsgenerating helix and means at the base of saidshoulder for engaging a:strip to be wound, means for rotating said boss, a member adapted toexert pressure on said stri transversely to the axis of said boss, anmeans on said member for guiding said strip.

7. In a' machine .of the type described, a windin mandrel comprising ahelical boss adapte for rotation, said boss havin a shoulder connectingthe initial and terminal points of its generating helix and havin meansat the base of said shoulder for engaging a strip to be wound, aflexible spacin strip superposed on said strip to be woun the height ofsa'id shoulder being substantially equal to the combined thickness ofsaid strips and means for rotating said mandrel.

S. n a machine of the type described, a winding mandrel comprising ahelical boss a'dapted for rotation about its axis, lsaid boss exertingpressure in a direction transverse having a shoulder connecting theinitial and to the axis of said mandrel on the strip to terminal pointsof its generating helix and be wound, and means for rotating said havingan axially-extending groove at the mandrel.

base of said shoulder, a: strip to be wound In Witness whereof, I havehereunto set l5 having an angular lip for engaging said my hand atIndianapolis, Indiana., this 8th groove, exible spacing strip superposedon day of December, A. D., one thousand nine said strip to be wound, theheight of. said hundred and twenty-five.

shoulder being substantially equal to the l0 combined thickness of saidstrips, means for JAMES ARTHUR HITTLE.

